In 2025, the domestic intelligence agency reviewed nearly 400 organizations and individuals on behalf of the federal government. This review was carried out for groups that applied for public funding or received support through federal programs and awards, according to information released by the Federal Ministry of the Interior in response to an inquiry from Clara Bünger, a member of the parliamentary group of Die Linke.
Under this procedure, 218 organizations and 178 individuals were reviewed last year using a process known as the “Haber procedure”. This type of vetting has faced criticism recently; for instance, Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer excluded three bookstores from the German Bookstore Prize following such an inquiry from the domestic intelligence agency.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) reported “findings relevant to the protection of the constitution” in ten instances concerning people and in 34 instances regarding organizations during 2025. The BfV submits these findings via the BMI to the relevant requesting ministry, which then has the option to request further details. Overall, in 38 cases, the BfV provided information that went beyond merely stating the existence of “findings relevant to the protection of the constitution”.
Clara Bünger, the interior policy spokesperson for the left-wing parliamentary group, criticized these vetting processes. Speaking to newspapers, Bünger stated, “The Ministry of the Interior is waging a secret campaign against civil society”. She accused the Federal Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), of misusing the domestic intelligence agency “as a state vetting office for undesirable beliefs”. Bünger demanded an immediate end to this “backroom checking practice” asserting, “We need transparency instead of state-imposed distrust directed at everyone who defends democracy”.
